Christopher Columbus: The Discovery
| producer = Alexander Salkind Ilya Salkind | music = Cliff Eidelman | editing = Matthew Glen | cinematography= Alec Mills | distributor = Warner Bros. | released = 21 August 1992 | runtime = 120 minutes | language = English | country = United States | budget = $45 million | gross = $8.2 million }} Christopher Columbus: The Discovery is a 1992 American historical adventure film directed by John Glen. It was the last project developed by the father and son production team of Alexander and Ilya Salkind (best known for the Superman films that star Christopher Reeve in the title role). The film follows events after the fall of the Emirate of Granada (an Arab principality which was located in the south of Spain), and leads up to the voyage of Columbus to the New World in 1492. Its behind-the-scenes history involved an elaborate series of financial mishaps, which later brought about an emotional falling-out between Alexander and Ilya; as a frustrated Alexander would later lament in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, "I know, after this, that I'll never make movies again." The film was released for the 500th anniversary of Columbus' voyage. The premiere took place at almost exactly the same time as 1492: Conquest of Paradise, which has often led to confusion between the two films. Plot The titular Genoese navigator overcomes intrigue in the court of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain and gains financing for his expedition to the West Indies, which eventually leads to the European discovery of the Americas. Cast *Marlon Brando as Tomás de Torquemada *Tom Selleck as King Ferdinand V *Georges Corraface as Christopher Columbus. The role was originally intended for Timothy Dalton. *Rachel Ward as Queen Isabella I. The role was originally intended for Isabella Rossellini. *Robert Davi as Martín Pinzón *Catherine Zeta-Jones as Beatriz Enriquez de Arana *Oliver Cotton as Harana *Benicio del Toro as Alvaro Harana *Simon Dormandy as Bives *Michael Gothard as the Inquisitor's spy *Branscombe Richmond as Indian Chieftain *Christopher Chaplin as Production Timothy Dalton and Isabella Rossellini, originally chosen to star in the picture, backed out when director George Pan Cosmatos was replaced by John Glen shortly before shooting began. Dalton later filed a suit against the producers for breach of contract and fraud, stating that they did not provide a bank guarantee for his $2.5 million salary. Glen had previously directed Dalton in both of his appearances as James Bond: The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill. Reception The film was not a commercial success, debuting at #4 and grossing $8 million against its $45 million budget. The film received mostly negative reviews, with a rotten 7% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 29 reviews, with the website's critical consensus reading "Ironically, for a biopic about a voyage many associate with people accepting that the world is round, Christopher Columbus: The Discovery falls completely flat." Brando's performance in particular was singled out as his "worst". Roger Ebert agreed with this sentiment while giving the movie 1 out of 4 stars, stating "This movie takes one of history's great stories and treats it in such a lackluster manner that Columbus's voyage seems as endless to us as it did to his crew." It is also on his “Most Hated” list. Awards It won one Golden Raspberry Award Worst Supporting Actor – Tom Selleck, and was nominated for another five, including; Worst Picture, Worst Supporting Actor – Marlon Brando, Worst New Star – Georges Corraface, Worst Screenplay – Mario Puzo and Worst Director – John Glen. At the 1992 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards, it received a nomination for Worst Picture. Home video The film was released on VHS and LaserDisc formats from Warner Home Video in 1993. It has not been released on DVD in North America, but is available in other format regions on DVD. See also * 1492: Conquest of Paradise, another big budget, all-star epic about Columbus also released in 1992. * Carry On Columbus – A comedy-film about Columbus released in 1992. * The Magic Voyage, an animated film about Columbus also released in 1992. References External links * * * Category:1992 films Category:American biographical films Category:1990s adventure films Category:1990s biographical films Category:Films set in the 1490s Category:Fiction set in 1492 Category:Films set in Spain Category:Films set in pre-Columbian America Category:Films shot in the United States Virgin Islands Category:Cultural depictions of Christopher Columbus Category:Cultural depictions of Isabella I of Castile Category:Cultural depictions of Tomás de Torquemada Category:Films scored by Cliff Eidelman Category:Films directed by John Glen Category:Films with screenplays by Mario Puzo Category:American films Category:British films Category:British biographical films Category:Spanish films Category:Spanish biographical films Category:Age of Discovery films Category:Epic films based on actual events Category:Sea adventure films Category:Historical epic films